Ever had thoughts of being a web developer? Pursuing this career is as a big decision and requires much learning as you go along. But do you have what it takes to become one? How do you become a web developer?

Getting started

If you’ve never had any web programming background and probably heard this from a friend who earned ‘big money’ off a single project, the first question you’ll need to ask is: Is this right for you? You might want to run through your set of interest, qualities, skills and education to help you determine whether this suits you. A strong interest for computers, web and Internet activities are some qualities that will help you get started in this journey. Patience, ability to tinker how technology works and an eye for design gives you an edge to starting this practice.

Before we go deep into webdev jargons, it’s good to start with HTML and CSS. These two are the basic building blocks of how webpages work. Though working on Adobe Dreamweaver provides shortcut to learning these, having to learn codes using a simple text editor is essential to your learning curve.

Basic understanding of PHP and MySQL (for databases) are useful in adding functionality to your websites. To make ‘dynamic websites’, understanding these codes increases numbers using content management system (CMS), which stores and takes content from your database to page templates when needed.

Another language you need to master is JavaScript. Not only is this essential to building functionality of use with web pages, it’s also used for applications. Ajax will also work well with HTML and CSS. You may also want to tap into other programming languages such as Perl and ASP to build your web developer’s toolkit.

Misconceptions about Web Development

First, it’s not web design. The true concept: Web development is working with the designer’s work and construct it into a functional website. Designers are focused into the overall ‘beautification’ of the website. On the other hand, a web developer works on the analytical side and concentrate on the site’s overall performance and function.

Second, web developers are never ‘finished’ after creating a site. After creating a site, you will need to constantly monitor it for glitches and bugs. Just when you think it has been running smoothly for a few months, your site encounters problems or your client wanted elements added to it. With the shifting times, the only thing constant is change. So you need to be flexible and work with the changes.

Third, you’re required to do more than just coding. Though writing codes takes a big chunk of your time, constant communication with designers, illustrators, copywriters and other personnel involved in the project is crucial to running the site to your client’s satisfaction. Not only that, you’re required to strategize updates, analyze web performance and make improvements as necessary.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. During this phase of learning, you’ll need lots of practice and persistence in pursuing this skill. Of course, you can also tap mentors to guide you on your hands-on practice to creating websites. If you feel that this is not sufficient, pursuing a degree may be ideal.

Technology is constantly evolving and the digital world is finding more ways to keep up with the pace. This also goes for web development. Coding has been part of most Internet-based activities and understanding this may help you in your step towards career growth in web development.

Java

This is a class-based and object-oriented programming code developed early 1990s by Sun Microsystems. Since then, this language has become a standard in creating web-based content in the early years and still is until now. Today, this is one of the mostly used codes that web developers use for creating applications. This is the code used for making online games, interactive applications, banks and security offices to protect their database. It’s also used in many mobile applications in Android operating system.

Java is compatible across the board. So if a program is written for Mac OS X, it can also be read in Windows. There’s a high demand for Java developers and engineers nowadays due to the rising use of mobile apps and other digital technology.

JavaScript

This another dynamic coding language that has started in the early 90’s that is still popular today in the programming world. This code is developed by Netscape that got much of its syntax from C. JavaScript is compatible across many web browsers and is considered to be an essential element to creating interactive and animated web applications. It’s also used in many game development and desktop applications for writing. JavaScript interpreters are also found in Chrome extension (Google), Safari (Apple), Adobe Acrobat and reader and Creative Suite. This web coding language has also paved way for the development of Node.js.

Python

Compared to other types of coding, Python covers a unique set of language that’s fairly simple to learn. Unlike JavaScript with its complex syntax, Python uses simple function and variables that works just as efficiently in creating web applications. This is a great code to learn for those who are still new to coding because of its readability and simple use of syntax. Using only a few lines of codes to convey a concept, Python is a good benchmark to learning more complex ones such as JavaScript and PHP. Instagram, Rdio, Pinterest are powered by Python using Django as its framework.

Ruby

Just like Python, Ruby is fairly simple to use and easy to write. Compared to its more complex coding types, Ruby is another set of codes that beginners need to learn. The syntax types are simpler and easier to work on, thus expressing applications easier. It also allows for creating high-quality products that are manageable as well. Ruby also features a good scaffolding, a good reference point for developing applications. It’s a dynamic, object-oriented coding language set for creating websites and mobile applications. Powering Ruby on Rails framework, it is also used in various online applications such as Scribd, Groupon, GitHub, Shopify, and Smartlend.

PHP

The most common of the code languages, PHP (or Hypertext Pre-Processor) is probably one that most heard of – and dreaded. Using a free, server-side coding language set for dynamic web platforms and applications, PHP is where the all code languages stemmed out from. Syntax is fairly easy to pick up but the OOP style can be difficult to create. Learning its security patterns can be tricky but manageable. PHP is also required before building a secure application and web platform. Rather than using this on an external file, PHP is embedded in an HTML source document. Many developers have used PHP to develop several popular websites such as WordPress, Facebook and Digg.